Queen’s Own Rifles – Battle Dress Jacket

Original WWII Queen’s Own Rifles (QOR) Corporal’s Battledress Jacket. A stunning original badged jacket to the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, serving as part of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, landed on Juno Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The jacket features printed Queen’s Own Rifles shoulder titles, embroidered CANADA shoulder titles, Melton “French-grey” 3rd Canadian Infantry Division formation patches, and Corporal’s rank chevrons. The jacket shows signs of period wear, with particularly attractive wear around the collar that gives it plenty of character. It is maker-marked Strathcona Garment MFG. Co., Montreal, dated 1943 (date somewhat difficult to make out and could possibly read 1945), and marked Size 5 (fits a mannequin of a typical 1940s height). A very attractive Canadian WWII battledress jacket that would make an excellent display.

” The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, an infantry battalion, assaulted Juno Beach as part of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade on D-Day. It was commanded by Lt.-Col. J. G. Spragge.

At 0715 Hours, the first landing craft carrying troops of the Queen’s Own Rifles approached the shore. Their War Diary recorded that, “All hell breaks loose as the artillery and various support weapons cut loose with all they have. The shore can now be seen but it is fast being obscurred [sic] by smoke being caused by our shells landing in the town”. The landing was delayed due to the difficulty of getting the Duplex Drive tanks out of their landing craft.

Finally at 0815 Hours, “A” and “B” Companies landed on the beach at Bernières-sur-Mer. “B” Company came under fire as they landed immediately in front of a very heavily defended German position. “A” Company was able to get off the beach but came under heavy mortar fire and were pinned down but eventually pushed on. The position holding up “B” Company’s advance was outflanked and the remaining defenders surrendered.

“C” and “D” Companies landed at 0830 Hours after taking many casualties as the landing craft taking them ashore hit underwater mines. All companies were held up in their advance inland by a battery of German 88mm guns. This delay stalled the advance of Le Régiment de la Chaudière off the beach.

At 1000 Hours, the 88mm guns were taken out and Le Régiment de la Chaudière moved past the Queen’s Own Rifles and continued their advance inland. The Queen’s Own Rifles moved to Basly, which they helped to capture with support from the tanks of the Fort Garry Horse. They then moved to Anguerny and held that position as June 6th, 1944 came to an end.

The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada had suffered 61 killed and 82 wounded on D-Day. Roughly 888 members of the battalion landed that day in France “